"Bulldozing legislation...": Congress MP KC Venugopal criticizes Centre over lack of time for amendments on Waqf Bill

New Delhi [India], April 2 (ANI): In a scathing remark in the Lok Sabha, Congress MP KC Venugopal on Wednesday criticised the government for rushing through the Waqf Amendment Bill, accusing it of denying members the opportunity to propose amendments.
KC Venugopal pointed out that the bill was only introduced to the members late in the afternoon the previous day, leaving insufficient time for them to review and suggest changes.
He further stressed that several provisions in the bill needed amendments, but due to the rushed timeline, no time was allocated for such revisions.
"In this type of bill (Waqf Amendment Bill) that you are bringing into the House, at least the members have to have the power to make amendments. Yesterday, this bill was brought to the members' attention around afternoon, leaving less time for members to move amendments. You are bulldozing the legislation. This is this type of legislation. You need to give time for amendment. There are several provisions to be amended. There is no time at all," Venugopal said in the Lok Sabha.
On Wednesday, the Lok Sabha took up for consideration the Waqf (Amendment) Bill, 2025, which incorporates suggestions made by the Joint Parliamentary Committee that examined the bill tabled in Parliament in August last year. The House also took up the Mussalman Wakf (Repeal) Bill, 2024, for consideration and passing.
Minority Affairs Minister Kiren Rijiju moved the two bills for passing in the House.
Congress member KC Venugopal accused the government of trying to bulldoze the bill, saying that they had not been given enough time to move their amendments."You are bulldozing the legislation, you need to give time for the amendments, their no time for amendments," he said.
Speaker Om Birla said that he had given equal consideration to the amendments of the government and the opposition members.
With RSP's NK Premachandran raising some objections to the procedure adopted by the government over the bill, Home Minister Amit Shah said that the union cabinet had approved the amendments which had been incorporated in the bill. He said the amendments were based on the JPC report. "There is no point of order," he said.
Rijiju told the media earlier that the bill is in the interest of the country.
"Today is a historic day, and today, the Waqf Amendment Bill will be introduced in the Lok Sabha. This bill is being introduced in the interest of the country. Not only crores of Muslims but the whole country will support it. Those who are opposing it are doing so for political reasons," he said.
The bill was earlier presented in the Lok Sabha in August last year, and a Joint Parliamentary Committee, headed by BJP MP Jagdambika Pal, examined it.
The bill seeks to amend the Act of 1995 and seeks to improve the administration and management of waqf properties in India. It aims to overcome the shortcomings of the previous act and enhance the efficiency of Waqf boards, improving the registration process and increasing the role of technology in managing waqf records. (ANI)